A Family Affair
by Jomel10
Summary: Troy and Gabriella's romantic evening all goes wrong when Troy is kidnapped by two dangerous men. They give Troy shocking news but what should he believe? Will he be saved? Violence/Swearing in later chapters. Please R&R! Disclaimer - Not mine. Ch 7 up!
1. Chapter 1

**Hi all :) OK, I'm a bit nervous cos this is my first HSM fic and I really want it too be good. Just to warn you, this will be a dark fic as those are my fave kind! There will be some violence and swearing coming up in later chapters! Oh and its Troycentric cos he's my fave character!**

**BTW, I don't have a beta reader for this story so all mistakes are mine. Im English so if ive used UK slang or got the Amercian slang wrong, please forgive me and point out the mistakes cos I want to correct that in the future! OR if there was someone willing to beta for me, it would make my day and I'd be so much more confident! I just want to make sure I get the characterisations right!!**

**Thanks for reading then and enjoy!**

Chapter 1

Troy Bolton stood on his girlfriend's porch, clutching some flowers in his right hand. He whistled contently as he rang her doorbell. He heard noise from inside, the sound of someone inapparently rushing down the stairs. Judging by the banging and rustling involved, it would seem that they were in hurry! The door was finally flung open and he smiled into the happy face of his beautiful girlfriend, Gabriella Montez.

"Troy! You're early!" She scolded, playfully.

He gave her a guilty smile. "Couldn't keep away. You ready?"

She gave him a stern look.

"Well, I'm not done yet. If I say a time, that's what I mean. Come back in ten minutes will you?"

His smile faltered for a second. She wasn't being serious was she?

Gabriella kept the act up as long as she was able, before her face broke and she hooted with laughter, clapping her hands in delight. "You thought I was for real, didn't you?"

He chuckled and looked down. "Yeah, very funny." He mumbled. "I admit it, you got me."

Shaking her head, she pulled him into a tight embrace and as they released each other, Troy leaned down, kissing her softly on her lips. He stepped back, enjoying that embarrassed giggled she did after each time he kissed her. It didn't matter that they had been together a year now. He still adored her just as much as he had done from the day they met.

He held up the flowers. "For you, my lady."

Another little giggle. "Why thank you, kind sir." She replied, putting on a squeaky English accent. She curtsied and took the flowers from him. He remembered last summer, when they had worked together. The vacations had started so well, the two of them laughing and messing about. Before it had all turned sour. He didn't want to think about that time now. Things were great between Gabriella and him now. And he wanted it to continue.

She admired the flowers. "They're lovely, thanks."

"No problem," he said. "Happy anniversary."

"Happy anniversary," she repeated and they kissed again.

Afterwards, Troy sighed. "So, what do you want to do tonight then?"

Gabriella tutted him. "Your dad won't be happy. Staying out late on the eve of a big game!"

Troy shrugged. "I can stay up past my bedtime for special occasions you know. This qualifies. And I'll be fine for the game, don't worry about it."

Gabriella nodded. "OK, shall we stay here then? My Mom will be out for ages tonight so we'd have the house to ourselves." Her smile was teasing. He loved it.

"Sounds good."

She moved aside to allow him entry. As he went to walk by her, Troy suddenly froze. He glanced over his shoulder, into the shadows. There was nothing there. He could have sworn he had heard a slight noise from close behind him, not for the first time just recently. But, every time he looked, there was nothing to be seen. If he scared easily, he would start to wonder if he was being followed? Or maybe, he was just going mad?

"Troy?" Gabriella asked. "You OK?"

Deciding he was not only being a class A wimp but also a bit stupid, Troy turned back to her and grinned. "Yeah, thought I heard something over there, that's all. It's cool."

Gabriella looked over to where Troy gestured. She couldn't see anything but her street was very dark, with only a couple of streetlights.

"Let's get inside Gaby, yeah?" Troy urged her.

She gazed back at her beloved boyfriend. He looked completely spooked. And it usually took a lot more than shadows to scare Troy Bolton. Now Gabriella was unnerved.

She took her boyfriend's hand and rubbed his arm.

"OK, c'mon."

And, to Troy's obvious relief, the two of them headed into the house and closed the door behind them.

X

When the two lovers were out of sight, the watcher walked quietly out of the shadows. Puffing on a cigarette, the man kicked at a stone, letting it skip along the ground, causing the same low scraping sound that had so freaked out Troy. The man smiled as he regarded the large house before him.

"Enjoy your last night of freedom, kid." The man muttered. "Seeing your girl there, I bet you will!"

Chuckling, he stubbed the cigarette out under his boot, retreated back into the shadows and continued to wait.

It was nearly showtime.

X

Troy and Gabriella were sat on her couch, watching television. Some boring slasher movie was on but Troy wasn't interested in it. He stole another couple of glances at Gabriella. He hair was curling around her chin, like he always adored.

"Troy, stop looking!"

He blushed. "Sorry."

"Nah, it's OK. But we're watching a scary movie and if you keep staring at me, it's so gonna bother me!" She held a hand up to him, baring his view, to prove her point.

"Whatever," he said, settling further back into his seat.

Gabriella sighed and then turned to look at him. "Troy, are you bored?"

He put on a shocked look. "Eh, No. Really, so not bored! It's just... this movie is just a bit samey, you know, when you've seen one of these kinda movies, you've seen 'em all."

Gabriella tossed her head. "OK, fine, We don't have to watch the movie. What else do you wanna do?"

With a soft, sexy smile, Troy leaned into her, pressing his lips against hers. Gabriella moaned with satisfaction as their kiss became more passionate. She felt Troy move closer to her and put his arms around her, laying her head gently back against the cushion on the armrest of the couch. Putting his hand inside her blouse, he began to kiss her down her neck. She looked up at the ceiling, her eyes unfocused.

As he covered her mouth with his again, suddenly Gabriella got cold feet. She pulled away from Troy, knocking his hand away. Troy stopped immediately, terrified he had gone to far.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "That went a bit far."

"No, it's fine," she stuttered, her cheeks flushed. "I'm just not sure what time Mom gets back. I wouldn't want her to walk in on us."

Troy looked down, ashamed. "Gabriella, I wouldn't have gone further than you felt comfortable with, you know that, right?"

She didn't answer right away, She wrapped her arms more tightly around herself and returned her eyes to the TV screen, trying to unjumble her thoughts.

Troy stood up. "I get it. No problem. I should go anyway. Gotta big game tomorrow."

Grabbing his jacket, he hurried to the front door, trying not to look at Gabriella.

"Troy! Wait!" Gabriella implored, rushing after him. "I didn't mean.. I was just thinking..."

"It's cool, Gaby, honest." He opened the door, giving her a quick peck on her cheek. "See you at school tomorrow."

And he was gone.

Gabriella went to call out after him but stopped herself. He was embarrassed and not in the mood to talk. She would put things right in the morning. She needed him to know that she did trust him and was ready to move things along. It had been a year after all and all they had done was kiss and cuddle. But she was nervous. She just needed to take things slowly. But how do you let a guy know that without him getting the wrong idea – just like Troy had just done?

Gabriella sighed and glanced at the her watch. Just gone 21.00. So much for their great big romantic anniversary evening! With a heavy sigh, Gabriella pushed the door shut.

X

Troy glanced back at the house he had just left. Maybe he could just nip back and put things right? He hated arguing with Gabriella. Arguing was such a waste of time! He decided against it. Gabriella was feeling a bit hassled by him and he didn't want to make that any worse. So, he turned tail and walked down the street.

The Wildcat didn't hear the footsteps behind him until it was too late. Just as the sound behind him got louder and he began to feel panicky, a large sweaty hand came out of nowhere and covered his mouth. He tried to yell out in shock but not a squeak was heard.

The man brought his lips to Troy's ear and hissed, "You make a sound and you get hurt. Is that clear?"

Troy paled. This was bad.

He was shaken violently. He moaned.

The man spoke again. "I asked you a question, kid. Nod if you understood."

Troy nodded. Fear coursed through him.

"Good boy. We're going for a little ride. Remember, no trouble."

Next thing Troy knew, he was being dragged backwards. Was this man actually trying to kidnap him? Why would someone kidnap him? It wasn't like his parents were loaded. He heard a beeping noise and knew the man had unlocked a car.

Oh God, he was really going to be taken somewhere by this guy!

As Troy was pushed towards an open door, he began to fight back, kicking and hitting any part of the man he could get too. The man grunted in annoyance. Troy could feel that this was a very big guy and Troy was certainly not going to do him any damage. Thinking quickly, he pulled off his watch, smashed it and tossed it on the ground, not seeing where it fell. The guy didn't notice, he was more concerned about someone being alerted by the noises they were making.

"Sorry kid," the man whispered and the last thing Troy felt was a sudden pain on the back of his head. He registered how much his head hurt before everything went black.

TBC

**I hope you liked that! Please comment. Comments are good and make the plot bunnies flow more for me! :) Will hopefully have the next part up soon :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi all! Here's my next chapter :) Thanks to everyone who read the first part, I hope you like this chapter too. I will probably be updating now on about once or twice a week depending on whole RL goes. **

**Just wanted to say thanks to the following reviewers:**

**pink.marshmellows – Thanks for the review. I'm glad you like the story. Hope you read and review again :)**

**Lela-of-Bast – Thanks! Please review again :)**

**dreamer 3097 – Glad you like it. Please comment again :)**

**2TheMaX – Glad you like the first chapter, hope you read and review again. I'll remember to use 12 hour clock from now on, thanks for that tip! I do worry that I'm saying the wrong thing or getting dialogue wrong ;)**

**MilksFavoriteCookie22 – I'm glad you find it suspenseful, that's what I'm aiming for! Hope you like this chapter too :) Please review again.**

**TheDiamondPrincess – Thanks for reviewing first! Hope you like this chapter too and comment again. Gonna be quite a lot of angst in this story, Troy's gonna have a hard time. Hope you enjoy :)**

**OK, carrying on now :)**

_**A Family Affair.**_

_**Chapter 2**_

Gabriella woke up immediately. It took her a few seconds to realise she had not been woken up as usual by her alarm clock but by her mobile phone. She glanced across at her clock and was surprised to see it was 5am.

Yawning, she reached for her phone with was perched on her dresser. She saw it was a number she didn't recognise calling. A feeling of dread come over her. Why would a stranger be calling her at this hour?

She answered the call with a nervous; "Hello?"

"Gabriella?"

"Yes?"

"It's Coach Bolton."

Gabriella was wide awake at once. Troy's Dad? Why was he calling?

"Hi Coach, everything OK?"

"Eh, actually Gabriella, no." He said, sounding irate. "Can I speak to Troy, please?"

She was shocked. "Um, Coach? I don't understand?"

"It's perfectly simple, Gabriella!" He dropped all pretense of politeness now. Gabriella realised how furious he was. Her feelings of panic increased. "Troy has a big game today and said yesterday that he'd get some practice in with the guys this morning. Now, what goes on between you two is between you and I've always respected that. But for him not call is unlike him and damned irresponsible! Now can you put him on the phone? Right now?"

Gabriella felt sick. Where was Troy?"

"Coach Bolton," she said, quietly, "Troy isn't here. He left early last night, around nine."

The line was quiet for a moment. "Coach Bolton?" Gabriella whispered.

"I see, I'm sorry to bother you then. I've gotta go."

"Coach, please wait.. didn't Troy..."

Coach Bolton paused before telling her; "His bed wasn't slept in last night and Troy's not answering his mobile. His Mother and I just presumed he stayed the night at yours. Everything was OK when he left yours wasn't it? You two didn't have a fight or anything?"

Gabriella hesitated. Troy did leave hers in a sour mood but surely he wouldn't have gone off somewhere on his own? All night? Things between them weren't that bad, were they?

"Gabriella?" Coach Bolton urged her. He could hear in his voice that he was worried. Troy had never stayed out all night before without letting his folks know where he was. If something had happened to him and it was her fault, she would never forgive herself. But neither would Coach Bolton..

"No," she said, closing her eyes, "Troy was fine when he left here. He just had a headache and wanted to rest before the game. There wasn't any problem. I'm sure he'll turn up at school. He's not gonna miss the game is he?"

"I'm sure your right. Thanks Gabriella. See you at school."

He hung up.

Gabriella cancelled the call herself and instantly tried Troy. His phone rang and rang. When it went to voice mail, she stopped the call and dropped her phone on her bed. Gabriella sat up, staring at her phone. That feeling of dread was now spreading to her gut, nearly choking her. She remembered how scared Troy had seemed last night, how he had mentioned someone following him. What if he had been right? What if something terrible had happened to him and Gabriella could have prevented it just by taking more notice of his fears?

Knowing that she wouldn't be able to go back to sleep now, she decided she may as well get ready for school. Heading off to have a shower, she tried to put her worries for Troy out of her mind, hard as it was. She knew what Taylor would say; she'd tell her friend that there had to be a hundred, perfectly reasonable, not at all sinister, explanations for Troy not getting home last night. He'd be waiting for her at school, big grin on his face and giving her his best puppy dog look, ready to make things up for their silly argument last night. Everything would be just fine. As long as she kept telling herself that.

XXX

Troy opened his eyes and winced. His head was killing him. He looked up at the ceiling and was surprised he didn't recognise it. There was no light and the roof was made of wood. He got up carefully, holding his head and gazed around the small wooden room.

It was then that the events of last night came flooding back to him. Someone had grabbed him in the street! He groped around in his jeans pocket trying to find his mobile phone. But of course, it wasn't there. Swallowing his fear, he looked around the room he had found himself in.

The room was nearly bare, with only a table and chair in the centre. He glanced at the "bed" he had awoken on and saw it was simply a few blankets and pillows piled up together. There was one window in the room, to small to climb out through but at least it provided some daylight.

Troy's eyes finally rested on the large wooden door in front of him. Not hesitating, he rushed forward and tried the door. It was locked. He pulled on it a few times before realising it was hopeless. Panic began to set in. Who had locked him in here and why? Why would anyone grab him. What use was he? His Mom and Dad had no money, it wasn't as if they could pay any ransom. OK, there was the basketball, his team had beaten a lot of others through the years so he knew he'd made plenty of enemies but surely noone would go this far. This was just insane!

Troy walked back over to his makeshift bed and sat down, staring straight ahead, trying to stay calm. Getting scared and freaking out was not going to help the situation. He needed to think about what had happened to him and see if he could work out any clues as to who had taken him. He remembered last night, his row with Gabriella and then, as he was walking home, being grabbed from behind by that big guy. He'd terrified Troy, he had just been so creepy and sinister. And he had knocked Troy out so the Wildcat had no clue where he had been taken too.

Troy glanced up at the window, trying to see what was outside. The window was just to high. He smiled when he saw the table, jumped up again, ignoring the ache in his head and tried to push the table towards the window. It wouldn't budge. It was only wooden, how could the table be that heavy? He tried the chair. That wouldn't move an inch either. It didn't take Troy long to work out that the furniture was fixed to the floor. Whoever had snatched him really had thought of everything. He got up on the table and tried to peer through the window. With a sinking feeling, he could make out nothing but trees. There were no other buildings that he could see and defiantly no other sign of life. Was he is a wood or something? If he was, how would anyone ever find him?

Troy turned towards the door quickly. Someone was unlocking it! He hurried down from the table as quietly as he could muster and rushed over to his messy blankets. He laid down and shut his eyes, deciding the best plan was for him to pretend to still be unconscious.

The handle on the door turned and the door swung open with an ominous creak. Troy listened as he heard a man's footsteps entering the room. He heard the man cross the small room and place something on the table. Then, much to Troy's horror, the footsteps came closer until he knew the man was standing over him.

His kidnapper kicked him in the leg, hard. It took all of Troy's self control not to move but he did manage to stay still. The man chuckled. He then knelt down beside Troy and to the boy's disgust, put his hand up Troy's sweater and rubbed his chest. Troy wanted so badly to push the man's hand away but he didn't move. Tears threatened to spill when he felt the man move his hand down towards Troy's groin. The Wildcat was going to throw up. He screwed his eyes even more tightly shut, praying the man would stop.

At that moment, there was muffled yell from downstairs. The man stopped touching Troy and with a disappointed sigh, stood up.

Troy shivered as the large man addressed him;

"The fun's gonna start for real when you wake up, pretty boy."

There was another shout. The man yelled back. "Alright, I'm coming!"

Troy listened as his hurried footsteps again crossed the room, he heard the door being slammed shut and the key being turned in the lock. Then, he was alone again.

He opened his eyes. He was trembling. He didn't think he had ever felt so disgusted and scared. His kidnapper was a perfect. Just what the hell was he going to do. He saw that the man had left a glass of water and a couple of pills. Troy almost laughed. Oh, maybe he does care after all.

Troy leant his head against the wall. There was nothing funny about his situation. He laid there, listening out for the first signs that someone was coming.

Now, panic was setting in. Actually, if the Captain of the Wildcats was being completely honest, he was absolutely terrified.

TBC.

**Hope you all liked that.**

**Next time: Things get scarier and stranger for Troy! And Gabriella and Troy's Dad are worried when Troy doesn't turn up at East High.**

**See you soon!**

**NB - Sorry for the delay with chapter 3. I wanted to post it this week but probably won't have a chance now. It will be up early next week though :) Again, my apologies!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi everyone! I'm so sorry for taking so long to post this. I found it a little hard to write, I hope it doesn't show. It's always harder for me to get the story started, I'm fine once I get to the dark and gritty stuff! And there's lot of that to come!**

**Thanks**** for all the positive reviews! I'm really grateful! Hope you all have time to comment again :)**

**Obviously, still no beta for the story so all mistakes are mine and apologies if it sounds, well, too English. If anyone would be able to be a beta for me, please feel free to offer! I'd love any help I can get :)**

**Anyway, hope you enjoy this! **

**A Family Affair **

**Chapter 3**

Gabriella walked slowly towards her school building. She had meant to have walked to school with Troy that morning. She scolded herself for being silly, for thinking only bad thoughts but she just couldn't help it. Why hadn't he called her? No matter how annoyed Troy had been the evening before, there was just no getting away from it - he would have called her.

She checked her cell for the fiftieth time. Still nothing. Troy's father hadn't contacted her again since that one phone call. Gabriella had woken her mom with the news that Troy was missing. She had to talk to someone about it. With her own thoughts, she was scaring herself stupid. Her mom had tried to reassure Gabriella, telling her that Troy would be fine. Perhaps he had gone to see a friend? Gabriella had immediately considered calling Chad but had decided against it. It had still been early and she didn't need Chad teasing her about being over protective of her boyfriend. So she had convinced herself that that must have been it. That Troy had swung by Chad's for some guy time, to perk himself up after their row.

That was the most sensible explanation, she told herself, again and again. After all, their lives were not a movie script. Kids don't just go missing. Troy would be okay. He'd be at school. And he hadn't called her because he was angry with her. Simple and innocent as that.

Gabriella walked through the school gates and had only got two steps inside the school grounds when she heard her name.

"Hey, Gabriella. Wait up!"

Chad was rushing towards her, as usual caring his basketball. She looked, hopeful but soon saw that Troy was nowhere to be seen. That horrible, stomach churning feeling was threatening to invade her insides again. She forced it away. She couldn't stop the guilty voice in her head though.

_What if something has happened to Troy? Because you forced him away?_

She forced herself to smile as Troy's best friend and fellow Wildcat reached her. "Okay Chad?"

He nodded, his face flushed. "I was just wondering if Troy was walking you to school today?" He glanced behind her. "But obviously not."

She shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant. "I saw him last night but he left early." She decided to keep her cards to her chest. "Why?"

He shrugged. "Oh, it's nothing."

"Chad?" She asked. She could feel herself turning pale. He must have noticed too.

"Honestly, I'm bettin' it's okay. It's just that the Coach called me this morning to ask if Troy was with me. Thing was, it was early, you know? And the Coach sounded pretty scared, I figured Troy hadn't been home." He looked down, kicking at a stone by his foot. "I was a little worried. Tried to call Troy but got no answer. I hoped he'd stayed with you last night."

Gabriella closed her eyes. This was the worse news she could have received. Chad had been her only hope. He was the only person other than her that Troy trusted enough to go to for help. If he hadn't heard from Troy either, then what had happened to him?

She sighed and ran her hand through her hair. "I haven't seen Troy since last night." She paused, wondering if she should tell Chad about the fight. She decided against it. The last thing she needed was Chad blaming her in some way.

Instead, she told him, "Mr Bolton called me too, around the same time he must have called you. I'm scared, Chad. It's not like Troy just to vanish into thin air without letting any of us know where he is."

He frowned. "Yeah, you're right." He glanced at her. "Did anything happen between you guys last night? Anything, eh, not good?"

She quickly looked up. "No, why?"

From his look, she knew she had been far to defensive.

"I wasn't suggesting anything, don't lose it, okay? I just want to know.. "

Another voice ran out, interrupting Chad, much to Gabriella's relief.

"Chad! Gabriella!"

They both turned to see Jack Bolton jogging up to them. He gave each of them expectant looks.

"Have you heard from him?"

They both shook their heads and saw the Coach's smile fade.

He soon attempted to cover his blatant worries.

"Oh, okay. Well, I'm sure it's nothing. He'll turn up. He knows we've got the big game today, hey Chad?"

Chad smiled nervously. "Yeah Coach, he'd never miss a massive game like this. He's probably in the gym now, shooting some hoops, last minute practice, you know?" He was clearly trying to make the situation seem a lot lighter than he actually felt it was. Gabriella felt very sorry for her friend.

The Coach clapped Chad on the back. "That's the Wildcat spirit, Chad. And that's where you should be, right now. Head over to the Gym, okay. I'll see you in a few."

As Chad ran off, Jack called after him; "And Chad? If Troy is there, tell him to get to my office, pronto."

"No problem, Coach." In no time at all, Chad was out of view.

Jack turned to Gabriella. She could sense the fear in here, being hidden beneath the "all is well" charade.

"If he texts or calls, let me know at once. Can you do that?"

"Of course, Mr Bolton." Gabriella replied. She hesitated. "Shouldn't we let someone know Troy's missing?"

He glared at her. "What, you mean the police? He's not be gone five minutes! The police don't wanna be bothered with stuff like this."

Gabriella stared. "Stuff like what exactly? Missing kids?" His attitude had iritated her. "Coach, Troy may have been kidnapped for all we know!"

He rounded on her angrily, causing her to back off slightly.

"Don't be so freaking stupid! He's not the first kid to have a row with his girlfriend and run off to let off some steam, you know. He'll be out there somewhere, clearing his head. And as long as he gets his head straight and back in the game, I'm happy." And with that, he marched away, not giving her a backwards glance.

Gabriella was flabbergasted. She didn't know what to say. Firstly, didn't Troy's dad care about him at all? All he seemed to ever care about was basket ball! Secondly, he knew about their row. And he obviously blamed her. She cringed inwardly.

That hateful voice inside. It just wouldn't stop.

_And why shouldn't he blame you? It was all your fault. You let him go!_

The bell rang.

Feeling very much alone, Gabriella headed slowly to her home room, all the hustle and bustle of school going on all around her was lost on her. Her friend Taylor called out to her but she didn't hear. All she was concentrating on was her cell phone. She stared at it, not wanting to blink, willing it to ring.

XXX

Troy opened his eyes abruptly. There was a loud banging on the door. Then, he heard the key being turned in the lock. He cringed away, pulling his scummy blankets back with him.

The door creaked open and a small, bald head popped around it. And smiled straight at him.

"Troy! So, you are awake. Excellent!"

Before Troy could even register that this stranger had a. spoken to him and b. knew his name, the man had fully entered the room and was striding towards Troy, his hand outstretched.

The newcomer was dressed in a suit and was wearing reading glasses. He looked like he had just come from an office. In any regular situation, Troy would describe this man as a geek.

But this was no normal situation. The Captain of the Wildcats scrambled away from the man until his back was against the wall. He cowered, unsure of the guy's intentions.

Seeing the boy's reaction, the man stopped and frowned. He glanced over his shoulder.

"Mikey?"

Another man stepped through the open door. Troy presumed this was the man who had started to get "friendly" with him earlier. He was a large man, with untidy dark hair and small piggy eyes that now squinted as he grinned at Troy. It was a predators' smile.

Troy shivered.

The first man was addressing the second. Troy shook his head clear, trying to keep up with the conversation.

"Mikey, I told you to be gentle. Look at him, he's scared of us!"

"You told me to bring him here, Eddie. I did that."

"Did you hurt him?"

"He was struggling against me. Didn't have any choice."

"Well, _my_ rules still stand from now on, Mikey. Remember them. You don't harm him. Understood?"

Troy met Mikey's gaze. The man winked at him. Troy looked away.

With an amused chuckle, Mikey answered Eddie with a shrug and a nod.

Eddie seemed satisfied. "Good."

He turned back to Troy.

"Now then. How are you, Troy? Headache? Did you take the tablets? I see you did. Very good! Pleasure to meet you, my boy. Wonderful!"

Troy stared at the gibbering man standing above him in stunned silence. The man was clearly mad. He carefully reached up and shook the man's offered hand.

"I'm Troy Bolton," he whispered.

Eddie laughed. "I know who you are, Troy. In fact, I probably know you better than you yourself do! A fine sportsman aren't you? I've seen some of your matches. I was a good basketball player myself back in the old days."

Troy didn't understand this happy chatter. He glanced again at Mikey who was stood by the door, watching the exchange, apparently entertained.

"Who are you?" Troy said quietly, again speaking to Eddie.

Edward's smile faded. "Yes, well, it does hurt to hear you say _that_. It's painful that you don't know me, no matter how much I have discovered about you. But that won't be for long will it? Not now that we are together. Reunited at last! No one is going to separate us again. Life is going to be so much better from here on in, Troy! I can promise you that."

Troy's uneasy feeling was getting stronger.

"What do you mean, reunited?" He asked.

Eddie and Mikey exchanged glances.

"Tell him," Mikey said, his eyes glinting. Troy had only known this man for a few minutes but he already couldn't stand him. Mikey had such a cruel, unnerving air about him. Troy couldn't help but be scared of him.

Eddie appeared nervous as he crouched beside Troy.

"I'm sorry I had to snatch you like this, son. If there had been another way... but still, I promise that nobody will hurt you. I won't let them." He placed his hand on Troy's arm. Unlike Mikey touching him earlier, Eddie's gesture was kind and reassuring., not pervy.

"What do you want?" Troy said in hushed tones.

"I've got what I want," Eddie told him, patting his forearm. "You."

Mikey let out a snort. Eddie glared over at him. Troy could already sense the unrest between the two men. If they were partners, it certainly wasn't a happy alliance.

"And why did you want me?" Troy moaned.

Eddie frowned. "Want from you, Troy? You don't understand. All I want is you to know and accept the truth."

"Truth?" Troy gasped.

"Yes, my boy. You've been lied to your whole life. My name is Edward Marsten and _you_ are my son."

Troy froze. He stared into the man's face in disbelief, trying to find some hint of deception. There was none. The man was deadly serious.

How dare he say something like that? That was sick! Troy got quickly to his feet, his fear momentarily gone, replaced by pure unadulterated anger.

He shoved out at Eddie, knocking the crouching man to the ground.

"Get the Hell away from me, you _freak_!"

TBC.

Hope you all enjoyed that! More action to come soon. Next chapter should be up soon. I am having an operation on Thurs so please think of me! I'll try to get the next part up before that as I don't know how long it will be put me out of action. Anyway, see you soon!

**Next time – Chad's worries intensify during practice and he argues with Jack and things get worse for Troy. Could it be true? Is Eddie really his dad? Stay tuned!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hi all, sorry this has taken me a while to update but I'm back now!**

**Special thanks to my fantastic new beta-reader, LelaofBast who has given me a lot of help with this chapter and did a great job checking it through for me :) Thanks again, hon!**

**Also, many thanks to all of my reviewers. I hope you like this update and review again! Comments are great :)**

**I should be getting back to updating at least once a week from now on. Thanks for sticking with me :)**

**Enjoy!**

**Chapter 4 **

Troy stared down at the gasping man who now lay gasping unceremoniously at his feet. The same man who had kidnapped him and now, had lied to him. An insane, sick lie.

"Troy," Eddie began, trying to pull himself to his feet. "You don't understand."

"How _dare _you say something like that?" Troy demanded, with his fists clenched at his side. He was fuming. "What kind of freak are you?"

"You watch your mouth, boy!" Mikey hissed, suddenly entering the fray and gripping Troy's arm painfully. Troy tried to pull away but the large man was too strong for him. He tightened his hold on Troy, who moaned from the pain.

"That's enough. Let him go, Mikey," Eddie said, carefully.

Mikey glared at him. "The brat just shoved at you! Are you gonna let him get away with that?"

Eddie stood at his full height. Troy saw that he was a good few inches shorter than Mikey. Even so, he radiated authority.

"I said, _let him go_."

Mikey seemed to think it over for a second before releasing his grip on Troy. The young man backed away, rubbing at his sore arm. When Eddie turned to look at him, Troy saw disappointment and frustration on his face and swallowed nervously.

Eddie was trying to keep the peace. He addressed Troy again.

"If you are willing to listen to me nice and calmly, I will be happy to answer all of your questions."

Troy shook his head. "You can't be my dad. You got that? You've got the wrong guy!"

Eddie looked down. "No, I can promise you that _you_ are mistaken."

Troy's anger surfaced again. He wasn't going to listen to this. They couldn't force him too.

"I don't give a _damn_ what you promise! I know who I am and I know where I came from. My mom is Lucille and my dad is Jack Bolton!"

Eddie turned red. He charged towards Troy and grabbed him by his sweater. Troy was stunned at the sudden change.

"Don't you dare mention Jack Bolton's name to me again. Ever." Eddie released him, taking great efforts to calm himself. He seemed surprised at his own outburst. He glanced across at a smirking Mikey before pointing a stubby finger in Troy's face and telling him, softly, "Have you got that, Boy?"

Troy didn't answer. He was not about to stand there and deny his own father! He was stronger and far too stubborn for that. In fact, probably to stubborn for his own good. Eddie continued to eyeball him until it seemed to dawn on the man that Troy was not going to reply. Finally, he gave in and drew back.

After taking a few more moments to fully compose himself, Eddie smiled cheerfully at Troy.

"Perhaps we did take things too quickly. Huh Mikey?"

Mikey shrugged.

Eddie continued to address the Wildcat. "We'll leave you to your thoughts for now, Troy. We'll talk some more later. Once you've let the news sink in, I'll tell you the whole story. You're a bright kid. I know you'll figure it all out, once you've heard the truth."

Troy stared at him. He had now come to the conclusion that Eddie was out of his mind; a real freak show. As for Mikey, even his mere presence made Troy want to throw up. The guy seriously gave him the creeps. Troy hated them both. He wanted to go home.

"Where's my cellphone?" he asked, quietly.

Eddie frowned. "There's no one for you to call, Troy."

"Is that right? Well, it belongs to me and you took it without asking. That kinda means you stole it. I want it back."

Mikey laughed and stepped forward, now slightly in front of Eddie. "I took your phone Troy. And then - I got rid of it. You won't be needing it where you're going." He gave Troy a sickening grin. "Nice of you to keep it so low in your pocket though, pal. I enjoyed that, thanks." He winked.

Troy trembled. "What do you mean, where..?"

Eddie cleared his throat, interrupting him. "Enough now. Get some rest, Troy. I'll send Mikey up with some dinner for you later. We'll speak some more soon, I promise." He smiled, kindly. "Okay, son?"

Something clicked inside Troy. Perhaps it was how scared he was, or the unfairness of the situation he had found himself in, or simply how damned angry he felt. Troy wasn't sure what, but something made him pick up the glass that was on the table beside him and hurl it at the door, missing Mikey's head by a hair's length. All three occupants of the room jumped when the glass crashed against the wood and smashed into smithereens.

Troy stood, breathing hard, his face flaming.

"Don't you _ever_ call me your son," he said, softly but firmly.

A beat passed as both the men stared from the broken glass at their feet to Troy's flushed face. Mikey recovered first and made to lunge for Troy but was prevented in doing so by Eddie. The older man's face was blank; he merely gazed at the fuming wildcat.

Finally, after a few painstaking moments, Eddie broke the silence.

"Clear up this mess, Troy. And see that you pick up every single piece of glass. And be careful not to cut yourself."

Troy said nothing. He could only glare hatefully at both men.

"Come on Mikey," Eddie muttered and gestured for the other man to leave first. Mikey shot a quick "See you later," to Troy as he left the room. Eddie followed him out, not looking at Troy again. Troy watched him push the door shut and listened out for the turn of the key, and of course, it came.

Troy stared at the locked door. This was really happening. He was a prisoner, and his two captors were psychos.

This was very bad.

XXX

Coach Bolton blew his whistle loudly, clearly showing his annoyance. Chad cringed inwardly, knowing the high pitched sound, and the coach's fury, were aimed directly at him. For him, the practice had been a nightmare. He couldn't take his mind off of Troy. Why was his friend missing? And how could the coach be so unconcerned? He was certain that Mr. Bolton was covering, trying to keep all their minds on the game, but Chad knew that this was serious. He didn't know how, he just knew it was. It was so unlike Troy not to contact him or Gabriella.

"Chad. Earth to Chad! Are you with us?"

Chad blinked. He was suddenly aware that he was stood in the middle of the gym, holding the ball, no longer even attempting to follow the play. The coach was glaring daggers at him and the rest of the team were grouped around, eying him cautiously. The coach stalked up to Chad and wrenched the ball from his hands.

"What the Hell is going on with you Chad? I need you focused. Especially after your best pal decided to do a disappearing act on us! Now, getcha' head..."

Chad didn't let him finish. "Get my head in the game? Coach, what's wrong with _me_? What's up with _you _more like!"

The other Wildcats began to mumble between themselves. They were already confused by Troy's unexplained absence, and now Chad's odd behavior was simply creeping them out. Noticing this, Jack grabbed Chad firmly by the arm and yanked him off of the court and away from his team mates' prying ears.

"For Christ's sake Chad! I need you with me on this. We've gotta win this game!"

Chad pulled his arm free. "Coach, will you just forget the game? What about Troy?"

He was speaking loudly, uncaring who heard his words. This needed to be said. The coach looked nervously towards the other players who were ambling nearer, whispering excitedly.

"Will you keep your voice down? Do you want to worry the others?"

Chad was almost beside himself. "Worry about _them_? Mr Bolton, your son, my best friend, is _missing_! And all you give a damn about is this stupid game!"

His words stunned Jack into silence. Incensed, Chad didn't let up.

"I know you're pretending everything is fine and I reckon that's to help you through this. I'm sorry, but I can't do that. Coach, you wanna play this game and carry on as normal? That's up to you. I'm gonna go and help find Troy."

With that, Chad turned and marched from the gym, much to the coach's and his team mates astonishment. Jack watched him go, too flabbergasted to speak. Finally, he did what first came into his head and blew his whistle. All the players ran to their positions though their faces displayed their worries. Unable to stop himself, Zeke edged forward.

"Eh, excuse me, Coach? We were kinda surprised Troy isn't here and now Chad -"

Jack stormed up to Zeke, shoving the ball into his arms. "That's enough! I've heard enough of this!" Zeke bowed his head. Jack span round, now addressing all the wildcats. "Troy and Chad are both okay. They'll both be here, in time for the game. But now, we have a practice to get on with and we are two players down. So, I wanna see some focus! Let's get on with this!"

He blew his whistle twice and, without another word, the players silently resumed their practice.

Jack turned towards the exit, his face etched with worry. He pushed his fears away, instead repeating the same sentence, over and over, in his head:

_Everything will be fine. Troy will turn up. But for now, the East High Wildcats have a game to win._

XXX

Troy was sat in the corner of his cell, his back to the wall with his arms crossed over his chest. He was gently rocking backwards and forwards, his eyes closed. He was trying to calm himself down, fighting against the panic threatening to engulf him. He opened his eyes, forcing back the tears that he so badly wanted to spill. He wouldn't though, couldn't give those two bastards the satisfaction. He had picked up the shards of glass, just as he had been told too and placed them on the table. He had decided he didn't want to anger either man purposefully. He was glad they were leaving him alone to think. He had to use that time somehow, to try and find a way out of this. His mom and dad must be worried about him, searching for him, along with Gabriella and all of his friends. And they had to find him eventually, right?

Troy banged his head against the wall in frustration. He felt useless. How could that man think that Troy was his? It just could not be possible. Troy knew who he was, where he belonged. He had to keep that in his mind, whatever he was told.

At that time, he was actually more bothered by one small thing Mikey had let slip, probably by mistake. Just what exactly did the Jerk off mean by the sentence 'where he was going?' Where _was_ he going? They wouldn't actually take him away, would they? If that guy Eddie really believed that Troy was his son, what if he did want to take him away? Away from his family and his friends? And from Gabriella?

Gabriella.

He stared up at the window, trying to work out what time it was. A couple of hours had certainly passed since they had left him by himself. He glanced at his wrist, wondering if anyone had found his watch. He doubted it. Did they even care?

He thumped the wall in his anger. He shouldn't be here. He should be at school, goofing off with his friends, being with Gabriella, getting ready for the big game. This was so screwed up. He pictured her face, her laugh, her smile. He tried to imagine her hand in his. If she were there, she would be telling him to 'hold on' and to 'be strong.' He grimaced as his thoughts turned to their row last night, and he hoped she had forgiven him. Was she looking for him? Did she miss him as much as he missed her?

Jumping in surprise, Troy's attention was suddenly brought back to the present as the heavy door slowly creaked open. Troy edged himself up slowly, still leaning against the wall. He held his breath. Whatever they said, whatever they did, he wouldn't believe the lies. He would concentrate on the people he loved and wanted to get back to. He would not betray his fear. He would win this, whatever it took.

Mikey walked in to the room, humming happily, carrying a large tray with a plate of food and a plastic cup. The smirking man regarded the scowling Troy.

"We got off on the wrong foot there. Don't you reckon, Troy boy?"

He set the plate down and grinned. "You hungry?"

Troy didn't answer. Mikey chuckled. The noise made Troy flinch.

"Well, that's too bad," Mikey added pleasantly. "I know I am."

Troy felt any remaining color he had left slowly drain away.

Mikey licked his lips.

**TBC**

**Sorry, bit of a cliffhanger! Next time: Added danger for Troy as he finds out more about his kidnappers and Gabriella and Chad decide to team up to help him.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hi all! I'm so sorry it's taken me so long to update the story. I bet some of you thought I'd abandoned it! I'll never do that, it's just that sometimes I go through very busy periods and this was a very busy July for me! I should have a bit more time over the coming weeks though so hopefully I can get on with this more quickly.**

**This chapter focuses on Troy's situation. I did plan to bring Sharpay and Ryan into it but it was just getting so long! So, I'll be concentrating more on Gabriella, Chad, Sharpay and Ryan next time.**

**I need to warn you about this chapter. There is some sexual abuse. If that squicks you, you better leave this chapter out. I don't feel it is overly graphic but thought I'd mention it, just in case.**

**Thanks to everyone who has reviewed the story so far and also to all my readers. Thanks for sticking with me. Also, a thousand thanks to my fantastic beta Lelaofbast who has done another brilliant job! **

**Anywayz, enjoy and please comment! **

**A Family Affair - Chapter 5**

Mikey edged the chair closer to Troy and smiled nastily at him.

Troy held his breath, wondering what the man wanted. He didn't want to show how scared he was, he knew Mikey would use his fear against him, given half the chance.

"It's time we had a little chat, " Mikey said, cheerfully. "We should try to get to know each other a little better, hey kiddo?"

Troy didn't answer; all he could do was stare numbly back. Mikey chuckled.

"Silent type when you want to be, aren't you?" Another smirk. "That's sweet. I prefer them quiet."

Troy's heart sank. This was not good.

"What do you want?" He whispered.

At his words, Mikey threw back his head and laughed.

"You're a smart kid, so your daddy tells it," he sneered. "I'm sure you can work out for yourself: what it is that I want?"

Troy tried to ignore this comment. Instead he muttered; "He's not my dad."

Mikey shrugged. "Not my problem. I'm getting paid. I don't really give a damn whose son you are." Kicking the chair over behind him as he rose, Mikey stood and began to advance on Troy.

"I just want to have some fun with you while I still can," he taunted. "Is that okay?" He reached in his pocket, pulled out his mobile phone and turned it off. Once he had replaced the cell, he grinned back up at Troy. "Just in case we get interrupted by Daddy!"

Troy paled. He shrank further back against the wall, feeling like a trapped animal. He wondered where Eddie was, not understanding why he would be left alone with this bastard, especially if Eddie truly believed that Troy was his son. Eddie must still be in the building somewhere. Troy opened his mouth, ready to scream the place down. Anything to get himself out of this current predicament, cornered by a man who clearly wanted to hurt him.

Troy only manage a weak cry before Mikey strode across the room and struck the teen hard across the face, sending him sprawling to the ground. Recovering quickly, Troy shoved out at Mikey, catching the large man by surprise. Mikey was clearly much more practiced in using brute force than Troy as even before the boy had begun to raise himself off of the floor, hoping to get to the door and make a run for it, Mikey was upon him again.

He pinned Troy beneath him, grabbing the Wildcat's wrists in one beefy hand and forcing them above his head, holding the boy in place. Troy could hardly move, let alone struggle. He moaned in pain but couldn't make a sound as the thug quickly covered Troy's mouth with his other sweaty hand. Mikey laughed softly at him, enjoying the boy's discomfort. Leaning down, he slowly licked up the side of Troy's face, causing the boy to whine in disgust.

Troy did the only thing he could think of. He bit down on Mikey's hand. Hard. The man let out a loud shriek and pulled his hand away quickly.

"You little shit!" He spat, backhanding Troy viciously. Temporarily stunning the boy, Mikey clambered over him, straddling him. Once he was sure Troy could offer no further resistance, Mikey released the Wildcat's wrists and began to move his hands up and down his body, pushing his clothes aside, touching and groping the teen as he wished.

Troy struggled as hard as he could, trying to kick the man off of him but it was futile. Mikey was far too strong.

"Get off me!" Troy moaned. "You sick freak!"

Mikey laughed. "Tough guy huh?" His wandering hands found Troy's groin. "You won't be so tough after this, Troy Boy."

He unzipped Troy's pants and felt inside his boxers. Troy froze. He gazed up in horror at the man who was now groping him and licking his lips as he did so. Mikey had his eyes closed and his face shone with pure lust and desire. Troy finally realized to his horror what the man intended to do and his heart sank as he accepted that there was nothing he could do to prevent it. All he could hope for was that it would be over quickly. And that maybe Mikey would kill him once he was done.

How could he ever face his family and friends again, even if he did get rescued?

He closed his eyes and, as usual, immediately saw Gabriella. She was standing before him, beautiful and graceful. She smiled at him, willing him to fight on, too survive, for her. He longed for her; for her touch and her strength. He wanted her there with him, holding his hand. She reached out for him and soon, he could imagine that he was with her. Away from Mikey and the assault. Away from that tiny, horrible room. Away from the humiliation and fear. It was just the two of them, Troy and Gabriella, in the world. Locked away in his own mind, he could stay safe.

A roar of anger brought him swiftly back to the real world. It took Troy seconds to realize he could not still feel the wandering hands. Opening his eyes cautiously, Troy saw that Mikey was no longer leering down over him. The weight that had been holding him down was gone. Rolling over onto his front, Troy saw that Eddie had hold of Mikey's shirt and had pined him up against a wall. The man's face was murderous. Neither man spoke, they jut glared daggers at each other.

Finally noticing that Troy was watching him, Eddie reluctantly released Mikey and drew back, moving closer to Troy, perhaps in an effort to protect him. Troy felt a spark of gratitude towards the man.

"I told you very clearly, Michael." Eddie said softly. "You don't touch him."

"I was just having some fun! I didn't hurt him, man."

Eddie stole a quick glance down at Troy. "He looks terrified to me."

"Well, that's because your kid is a wuss, Eddie."

"Get out of here now!" Eddie yelled, his anger boiling over again; "Just leave!"

Mikey stayed put. He met Troy's gaze and blew him a kiss. Troy felt sick to his stomach and looked away.

"I said, GO!" Eddie shouted, pointing at the door.

"Fine," Mikey said quietly. "You're the boss." With one last grin at the trembling Troy, Mikey marched towards the door, opened it and slammed it behind him, causing both Eddie and Troy to jump violently.

Eddie turned and looked down at Troy. He offered out his hand.

After hesitating for only a moment, Troy reached up and grabbed his extended hand. Eddie pulled the teen to his feet and clutched his shoulder. Troy gazed back at his savior with watery eyes.

"I'm sorry." Eddie whispered.

"You left me;" Troy muttered. "With him."

Eddie sighed.

"I know. I'm sorry. It won't happen again."

"Where were you?"

"I... I was on an errand." Eddie said, absently. "From now on, I'll send Mickey. You won't be alone with him again."

Troy nodded. Eddie's words had not completely satisfied him but he realized he couldn't expect anymore. He was still this man's prisoner after all. And besides, he was suddenly more interested in Eddie's errand.

"What were you doing earlier? When you left?"

Eddie wouldn't meet Troy's gaze. "Just putting some plans into place." He smiled at the boy. "You'll find out soon enough."

Troy didn't like his tone. Unnerved and no longer wishing to probe the man any further, Troy hurriedly changed the subject.

"Eddie;" he whispered. "How did you know my mom?"

The man seemed surprised and pleased by the question. Indicating for the boy to sit back down, Eddie grabbed the chair and moved it closer. He sat, facing Troy. The boy knew he was finally going to get the whole story. Well, Eddie's version of it anyway.

"I went to school with her," Eddie said softly. "Your mom and me, we were good friends. Pretty soon after we met, I fell in love with her."

Troy watched him, hoping to catch any sign that Eddie was telling a cock and bull story. But the man's face showed nothing but sincerity.

"She was beautiful, your mom." Eddie suddenly began. "We started dating and we were very happy. We were together all through our senior year. I even went to the prom with her."

The smile faded; his face darkened.

"That's when Jack Bolton noticed my Lucille. He was captain of the basketball team; hero of the entire school. He walked in one day and stole her away. The next thing I knew, they were an item. Lucille had forgotten all about me and people were telling it like they were serious. I still loved her, but it was over."

A tear ran down Eddie's face. Troy pretended not to notice. He needed the man to get to the point.

Quietly, he asked, "Why do you think I'm your son, Eddie?"

Rubbing at his eyes, Eddie looked at Troy. He didn't blink when he replied to him.

"I don't think, I know. I met up with your mom again, years later. She was engaged by then, about to get married. I did something I shouldn't have done, I told her I still loved her. She admitted the same to me, told me she still wanted to be with me but now felt trapped. I asked her to runaway with me."

Troy was frozen to the spot. How could this be true? His parents were happily married! His mother didn't love anyone but his dad! But Eddie certainly didn't look like he was lying. If Troy didn't know better, he could almost have believed the man.

Eddie rose to his feet and approached Troy, his hand extended towards the boy.

"We had one night together, one last night. And you were the result of that. I want you to understand Troy, you were a product of love. It's important to me that you know that."

Troy didn't speak. What exactly could he say if he did? All he could do was stare back dumbly.

"Bolton knew you were mine before you were born but he married Lucille anyway and then left with both her and you. I saw you once, as a baby. Your mom brought you to see me. Your stepfather found out and then, within a week, you were both gone." He closed his eyes, as if the pain of the memory haunted him.

Still speechless, Troy covered his hands with his ears. He didn't want to hear anymore.

"I wanted to be in your life, Troy. I loved you and your mom but I didn't know where to start looking for you. I moved away, got on with my life. I got a well paid, respectable job and threw myself into that, trying to put the family I should have had out of my head. The family that was stolen."

Eddie was sobbing, his whole body heaving. Troy moved his hands away from his ears and reached out, grasping Eddie's hand. He didn't know if he wanted to comfort the man or push him out of the way and run. The teen was so confused. If this was true, how could his parents never have told him? Had they thought the truth would never come out if they just brushed in under the carpet?

Eddie had calmed down.

"My life changed for the better recently; an even higher paid job, more prospects. I was finally in a position to take back what was mine and I knew I could give you the life you deserved. I decided it was time to come back for you. I knew Jack Bolton would never move too far away from East High, he was top dog there afterall and that made him feel important. And sure enough, as soon as I drove into town, I saw a poster of you and recognised you at once. Basketball player extraordinaire! You look so much like your mother when she was young, you know."

He leaned forward and stroked Troy's hair. This time, Troy didn't flinch.

"And Mikey, how do you know him?"

Eddie pulled away, once more looking tired and worried. But also guilty.

"He is someone I once knew who owed me a favor. I needed help in getting you back Troy, and he was available."

"And what if he comes after me again?"

"He won't."

Troy shook his head. "You can't know that for sure."

Eddie again grasped the boy's shoulder.

"Son, trust me."

As Troy stared up into the man's bright blue eyes, he actually realized that for the first time since he had met Eddie, he DID trust him. And the sudden realization stunned him. Whether Troy could ever believe what the man had told him remained to be seen. How could Jack Bolton not be his father? It was a notion Troy simply could not, would not, entertain. But why was there a nagging doubt, now, as he looked into Eddie Marsten's smiling face? What if he was telling the truth and Troy's whole life up to that point had been one big fabrication? And what could he expect his life to be like from that day on?

With a wide grin, Eddie ruffled Troy's hair fondly and then back away from him, heading back towards the doorway.

"I have to leave you now, Troy. There's a few final preparations for me to deal with and then, we'll be all set!" He clasped his hands together in glee.

Troy's stomach lurched.

"All set for what?" He asked, as calmly as he could muster.

Eddie chuckled. "Well, there's no harm in telling you now. Especially as the two of us have made some steps forward in our relationship."

Troy watched him nervously. Relationship? He may not actively dislike the man anymore, he perhaps even had trusted him for a moment, but Troy didn't feel anything more for the man. What relationship could he believe they could ever possibly have? No matter whose son Troy turned out to be! He had still kidnapped him and nothing would change that fact.

Eddie continued on, regardless of Troy's obvious panic.

"It's been a few hours since I took you Troy, so we had to move things on quickly. Mickey has some friends who have agreed to help us. They'll be here in less than an hour and we'll be gone!"

"Gone?" Troy whispered. He was sure he was going to be sick.

Eddie nodded, still choosing to ignore Troy's apparent terror.

"We'll be driving to an airfield not far from here where a pal of mine has a small plane. He'll take us across several states. By the time Jack Bolton works out where we are, we'll be far away from here, hidden away, starting our new life, together." His grin widened. "Doesn't that sound good?!"

And with that, he took his leave, leaving a horrified Troy in his wake, of course not forgetting to lock the door behind him.

The Wildcat was trembling as he brought his hands up to his face. He fought back tears, knowing that he couldn't crumble at that moment; he had to be strong. If he knew one thing, it was that he couldn't be on that aeroplane in a few hours. He would have to think of something, and fast.

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

Okay, what can I say? A thousand apologies for the loooooong delay! Thanks so much to everyone who has been waiting so patiently for this update! I hope you enjoy it :)

Thanks as always to my fantastic beta Lela-of-Bast, you're the best hon!

**A Family Affair ****–**** Chapter 6**

Gabriella gazed out of the window, staring at her fellow students, envious that they could continue their lives carefree. To them, this was just any other day. Gabriella obviously knew differently.

As ever, her thoughts turned to Troy. She wondered what he was doing and if he was thinking about her. Above all, she prayed that he would be safe, wherever he was.

She was sitting in her and Troy's special place; the greenhouse. Sitting there now, she was dangerously close to tears. At least, in the little hideaway, she could feel close to Troy. She shut her eyes and pictured him sitting beside her, holding her hand and smiling at her.

She covered her face with her hands and allowed silent tears to fall. She had missed two classes already and knew eventually her absence would be spotted and she would be hunted down. Quite possibly her mother would be called and she would get into serious trouble for skipping lessons but she didn't care. All she wanted was Troy. And of course, there was that nagging doubt about their fight last night, how she had just let him leave. If they hadn't had that pointless argument, would Troy be missing now?

In her heart, she knew the truth. She had let Troy down when he needed her the most. Would she get the opportunity to make yesterday up to him?

Gabriella was so lost in her own musings that she didn't hear the footsteps on the ladder or notice that she was no longer alone on the balcony.

The newcomer coughed softly. Gabriella looked up abruptly, almost expectantly, but she could only smile regretfully when she saw Chad standing over her, waiting.

"You startled me, Chad," she said with a sigh.

"Sorry," he told her. "I guessed I'd find you up here."

Gabriella was surprised. "I didn't know you or the guys knew about Troy's quiet place?"

Chad glanced around and then nodded. "You kidding? Troy can't keep anything from me." He paused. "That's what best friends are for," he added quietly.

Gabriella got carefully to her feet and wiped at her eyes. She knew how red and swollen they must look but she didn't care. Every time she tried to stop the tears, more came, with a vengeance.

"You skipped math," Chad pointed out. "Didn't think you'd ever do that!"

Gabriella glared at him. "School doesn't seem so important when the guy you love has been kidnapped!"

She went to barge past Chad but he held out a hand, restraining her escape. Gabriella glared at him.

"Look, I'm going back to class, okay? You can move now!"

Chad stood perfectly still, simply watching her.

It hurt him to see her so scared, so upset. Noting how she was just barely managing to hold it all together, Chad wrapped his arms around Gabriella and pulled her close to him. Glad of the contact, Gabriella wept on his shoulder. Finally there was someone who understood how terrified she was, and how useless she felt. It felt good to share the burden, if only for a short time.

It wasn't as if any of them could hope for any sympathy from Troy's own father!

"It's all my fault, Chad!" Gabriella sobbed.

Chad shook his head firmly. "Don't be crazy. How could it be?"

"You don't understand," she continued, pulling away and turning her head away. "If I hadn't pushed Troy away last night, he'd be here with us now and everything would be normal!"

Chad was perplexed.

"Gabriella, what..." he began but she cut across him.

"Last night! We were supposed to be having a romantic night in. It was our anniversary. I knew Troy wanted too... you know... but I was nervous and I couldn't."

She stopped, her face turning crimson. She was pleased Chad couldn't see her embarrassment. The young man didn't interrupt her; he just waited patiently for her to continue.

"We had a stupid fight and he left. Chad, I didn't even try to stop him. I knew he was upset but I thought he'd be fine if I gave him time to cool off. It must have been right after that when he was grabbed. If I hadn't been such a bitch, he'd be here now..."

Chad was stunned. Gabriella had been torturing herself with this all morning with no one to help her? Well, now she had someone, he decided.

The Wildcat walked up to the crying girl and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. Still, she couldn't look at him.

"Gabriella, none of this is your fault."

She shook her head forcibly. He was trying to be kind but she knew he didn't mean it, not really.

"What if they hurt him, Chad?" She choked out. "_Where is he_?"

"Gabriella." When she ignored him, Chad turned her around, forcing her to face him. His grip was firm, but gentle. "Babe, listen to me."

Her eyes met his. He wiped her tears away in a friendly gesture. She was glad of it. Right then, she needed someone to be on her side.

"You didn't make this happen. Whoever these people are, they would have taken Troy at their first opportunity and it would have come eventually, no matter how long it took. Yeah, you guys had a row but you're not the first couple to yell at each other! Ask Taylor!"

At that, Gabriella couldn't help but smile. At the mention of her best friend's name, she suddenly backed away.

"Oh no! Taylor! She has no idea what's happening."

"It's okay; I spoke to her just now. It was her who told me you didn't show in Math. She's worried about you." A beat. "We both are."

"What did you tell her about Troy?" Gabriella demanded.

Chad frowned. "That he's _missing_. That's the official line, right?" He shrugged. "You know Taylor though, she's so smart. She worked out there's more to it then Troy wandering off and needing some alone time." He looked down. "I didn't tell her anything though, for Troy's sake. The fewer people who know the better, I figured."

Gabriella nodded. "We don't want people rushing about and panicking."

Chad grunted at that. "Can't ruin the Coach's big game."

He looked away. Gabriella understood.

"He's still refusing to believe anything's up?"

It was now Chad's turn to well up. He kept his eyes averted, not wanting Gabriella to see his tears. "He won't listen to me. He's throwing everything into the match."

Gabriella nodded. "That's his way of dealing, I suppose."

Chad snapped round. "Dealing? Troy's been kidnapped! We need Coach Bolton to call the police, to get things moving! I thought he was such a cool guy, you know? I had total respect for him. Not anymore."

Gabriella slipped her hand around Chad's.

"We should go. Taylor will be worried – and I owe her an explanation."

Chad smiled. "You owe her? She'd my girl and I lied to her."

Gabriella glanced at him in surprise. "That's official now is it? You and Taylor?"

Chad shrugged, embarrassed. "As far as you're concerned. Can you keep it between us though? Just for now? I kinda wanted Troy to be the first person I told..." He lost his words, unable to finish his sentence.

Gabriella squeezed his hand. "You'll still get the chance, Chad. We'll find him."

"Why you so sure, Montez?"

"Because I know Troy."

They hugged, each taking much needed comfort from the other. The secret they were both sharing and the pain of it was becoming too much for both of them. At least they had each other to lean on.

"Gabriella!" A shrill voice made the two friends separate immediately. They gazed at each other, stunned.

"Hey, Gabriella! Are you and Troy up there?" The voice grew impatient. "Is your boyfriend hiding from me? I've been looking for him_ all _morning."

Gabriella let out a big sigh.

"Sharpay," she moaned softly, so only Chad could hear. "That's all I need."

He gave her a sympathetic smile as he watched her climbing down the ladder, ready to face Sharpay and her madness. With a heavy heart, he slowly began to climb down after her.

Gabriella reached the bottom of the steps and turned to face Sharpay. The blond girl was wearing her usual pompous look, one hand pressed to her side as she glared at Gabriella, obviously annoyed.

Gabriella could only imagine what terrible troubles had befallen Sharpay that morning.

For some reason, Gabriella was having trouble mustering up any pity for the other girl.

Gabriella looked behind Sharpay and saw her brother, Ryan, leaning against a wall. He gave Gabriella a nod and a kind smile. Gabriella liked Ryan. He couldn't help who his family was, after all.

"Where's Troy?" Sharpay demanded.

"Nice to see you too, Sharpay." Gabriella replied with a sigh.

Sharpay tossed her hair, her aggravated stance strengthening.

"Give up the little princess act, Gabriella. I really want to talk to him but no one has seen him. Where is he?"

"I don't know." The other girl replied, quite truthfully.

Sharpay let out a high giggle.

"Oh _please_. Every one knows you've got Troy on a close leash. You never let him out of your sight. What, you afraid if he's on his own for more then five minutes he'll realize how much better he could do?"

Gabriella swallowed hard. Chad moved closer to her and put his arm round her. Sharpay saw this action and she smiled knowingly.

"Oh, okay then. I get it. That's why you don't know where Troy is!"

Chad took a step towards Sharpay but Gabriella grabbed his arm, giving him a warning look.

"Sharpay! That's enough!"

Ryan had stepped between Sharpay and Gabriella.

"Stay out of this, Ryan."

"No. Gabriella obviously doesn't know where Troy is. Maybe you should go look elsewhere?"

Sharpay eyed her brother. She knew she was outnumbered and couldn't hope for Ryan to back her up. Not anymore.

With one last flick of her hair and a scathing look aimed at Chad and Gabriella, the spoiled girl turned on her high heels and marched off. Before she was out of earshot though, they all heard her say to a group of ogling freshman: "You all know Troy Bolton right? Well, that's his soon-to-be ex, Gabriella Montez. Seems he's had enough of her. I can't think why. Maybe it's because of how close she is to his soon-to-be ex best friend, Chad. Why don't you kiddies go spread that around for me? That's just peachy!"

She looked back at her brother, Chad, and Gabriella and gave them a little wave.

"Toodles!"

Then, she was gone.

Ryan gave the others a small smile of resignation. "I'm sorry. There's nothing to be done about her."

Chad clapped him on the back. "We know man. And we know it's nothing to do with you."

Gabriella smiled warmly at him and squeezed his arm.

"We can't choose our relatives, Ryan."

Ryan shook his head. "She's not all bad, you know."

Chad didn't look so sure and Gabriella thought it best to stay silent.

Chad jerked his head to Gabriella and she nodded.

"Anyway, we've gotta go. We'll see you later, Ryan."

He nodded and as they went to take their leave of him, he said; "Is Troy okay?"

They both froze. Seconds later, the fake smiles were plastered on their faces.

"Sure," Gabriella replied.

"Everything's cool," Chad offered.

Ryan smiled politely and nodded. "Okay, good. If you guys need my help or just want to talk or anything, come find me, alright?"

They glanced at each other, unsure.

Gabriella, head bent, hurried down the corridor, leaving Chad and Ryan alone.

"Troy's missing isn't he?" Ryan whispered to Chad, looking towards Gabriella.

Chad frowned. Ryan was smart but that was just too easy. More people were going to find out. Troy was the most popular guy in school; his disappearance would spread like wildfire and there was nothing they could do.

"How long?" Ryan enquired.

"Since last night." Chad responded, quietly.

Ryan sighed. "If there's anything I can do..."

"Thanks man." Chad interrupted, his eyes again on Gabriella's quickly retreating back.

"Better stick with her, Chad. She needs you right now."

With one last small smile, Chad rushed off after Gabriella, leaving Ryan to stare after him, already deeply concerned for the missing Troy. Ryan decided he would watch Chad and Gabriella closely. If and when they needed his help, he'd be there for them, and for Troy. He was, after all, a Wildcat now, wasn't he? Time for him to prove it, to them and to himself.

He wasn't Sharpay's shadow anymore.

TBC


	7. Chapter 7

**Happy new year everyone! And here's a treat for you, I'm finally updating this fic! Sorry it's taken me so long, hopefully I'll have more time over the next few weeks to really get on with this. Thanks to everyone still reading, I know I kept you waiting ages and I'm sorry. **

**I hope you all like this chapter and review it again!**

**Okay - **

**A Family Affair**

**Chapter 7**

Troy was sat on the floor in the middle of the room that had become his cell, staring at the locked door in front of him. For the hundreth time, he glanced down at his wrist, only to remember yet again that he had lost his watch. He couldn't remember where or how and it didn't seem to matter much anymore. Not knowing the time was just another way he was cut off from the life he'd known.

The life he would soon have to forget about.

He closed his eyes and brought his hands up to his face, trying to control the tremors that ripped through his body. He was scared, so scared. Not just of Eddie and Mickey but also of losing his mom and dad, of never seeing Gabriella or any of his friends again, even the thought of never playing basketball with Chad again terrified him. This was his life and he wanted it back. Everything he held dear was being taken away from him and all he could do was sit there and wait for it to happen.

He hated himself for being so weak. Why couldn't he fight back? Escape? People thought he was brave; the basketball team looked up to him- he was their leader. It was about time he acted like it.

Suddenly, the sound of the door being unlocked brought Troy out of his thoughts. He got carefully to his feet and prepared himself for whatever would happen next. He really didn't want to have to put up with Mickey and his wandering hands right at that moment. He felt real relief when the door swung open and Eddie walked through.

"Hello Troy, how are you?" Eddie asked brightly.

Troy managed a small smile and then backed further away as Mickey walked in behind Eddie. The larger man smirked at Troy and closed the door behind him. Seeing Troy's nervous reaction, Eddie moved closer, holding his hands up defensively.

"It's okay, Troy. No need to be scared. Mickey won't touch you."

Eddie turned his attention to the other man, his voice raising an octave as he addressed him. "Put the food on the table and leave at once, please Mickey."

Mickey snorted. "I get no fun!"

Eddie glared and Mickey laughed. "Fine, whatever. The brat ain't that important to me you see, Eddie."

He walked to the table and put the tray down. As he moved closer to Troy, the boy moved behind the table, as far away from Mickey as he could possibly get. Mickey gave the Wildcat a cheeky wink that made the boy's blood run cold. He chuckled, enjoying Troy's discomfort. He opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by the sound of his own cell phone ringing.

He held up a hand. "Excuse me," Mickey said, giving Troy a mock bow. He answered the call and spoke in a low voice so Troy could not hear. He then crossed the room to Eddie and whispered in his ear.

Eddie grasped his hands together. "Excellent! We're all sorted then. Make the arrangements, Mickey."

"Sure thing," Mickey replied and began to leave the room, his phone still clasped to his ear. Just before he left the room, he cancelled the call, slipped the phone into his left hand jeans pocket and grinned cruelly at Troy. He then took his leave. Troy stared after him. The beginnings of a plan were beginning to form in his mind. The thought of what he would have to do to make the plan work made him feel sick to his stomach but he was starting to doubt how many options still remained open to him.

Eddie was smiling kindly at him. The man seemed completely unaware of Troy's obvious concern. Either that, or he was choosing to ignore it.

"Not long now, Son," Eddie said. "We'll be off soon!"

He followed Mickey out of the room. Troy watched the door close and heard that familiar sound of the key turning in the lock, his heart heavy.

_We'll be off soon._

The four words echoed round in his head. He had no choice now, he had only one decision he could make if he wanted to be free.

His time had run out. Mickey was his only route out of this Hell.

XX

Ryan was leaning against a wall, his eyes trained on the building in front of him. Ever since his conversation with Chad and Gabriella earlier that day, he had felt uneasy. Something was definitely wrong. Where was Troy? And why was Gabriella acting so strangely? She had never let Sharpay get to her like this. Ryan had known of only one occasion when Gabriella had risen to the bait and that was when the dark haired girl believed she was losing Troy. Was that what was scaring her now too? Ryan shivered and he wasn't sure why. Something was not right and Ryan wanted to know what was going on.

Since the previous summer, the young Evans had felt separated from his sister and her bitchiness. In fact, he had even begun to consider himself a Wildcat. It pained him to think something nasty had befallen Troy, the other boy had never been anything but kind to him. If something was wrong with Bolton, Ryan wanted to help and that was all there was too it! Whether Gabriella and Chad felt that they needed his assistance or not, well, they had it.

At last, Ryan saw Gabriella and Chad making their way out of the gym and turned to head in his direction. Steeling himself, he rushed towards them.

"Hey guys, wait up!"

They paused, clearly surprised to see Ryan. Gabriella instantly stuck a friendly smile on her lips, whilst Chad looked impatiently over his shoulder.

"Ryan, we're a bit busy, dude. Can't it wait?"

Ryan frowned. "I just wanted you guys to know that I'm here, if you could do with some help."

"Thank you, but we're fine," Gabriella replied. She didn't look Ryan in the eye. He nodded to her.

"Okay then. So, where's Troy?"

Gabriella bulked at the question. Chad put his arm round her protectively and glared at the other boy.

"None of your business, Evans." His eyes turned cruel. "You know what? I bet Sharpay is looking for you right now. You'd better run, like a good boy."

"Chad," Gabriella scolded as Ryan turned bright red.

Chad grimaced. He went to maneuver himself and Gabriella around Ryan but the stubborn drama student held his ground.

"I thought thinks were okay between us now." Ryan said quietly, obviously hurt by Chad's attitude. "I thought we were friends. Everything that happened between us all on vacation..."

"Look Ryan, I'm sorry but things are kinda complicated right now." Gabriella told him. "Chad and I have to go, we don't have the time to talk. Really, I am sorry. Please understand."

Gabriella and Chad turned their backs on Ryan and began to walk away. Ryan shook his head in annoyance before giving chase.

"GUYS!"

"I'm gonna bash this kid's..." Chad whispered. Gabriella sighed.

She turned around again, still trying to keep things friendly. "_Please_ Ryan, just listen to me. I don't need this crap from you right now and nor does Chad."

"Yeah, you're worried about Troy 'cos he's missing. I get that and I want to help. Come on, let me help you!" He beseeched them. "And you know where we should start?" He continued hurriedly. "Where did Troy go missing?

Gabriella looked down. "My street," she said softly.

Ryan paused. "Okay. Right then. We need to search it and see if we find anything that could help us find Troy. What do you say, you wanna go?"

Chad and Gabriella gave each other unsure glances.

"Now?" Gabriella started nervously. "We can't just leave school..."

"Why not?" Ryan cut her off.

Chad turned Gabriella round to look at him, her eyes once again red. "Hate to say it but he's right, Girl. We need to do something. We're going insane here, sitting on our asses."

Gabriella hesitated. "And what if we get caught?"

Chad shrugged, "we get caught." He turned and offered his hand to Ryan. "I'm sorry Evans, didn't mean to take it out on you. It's been tough, you know?"

Ryan nodded and gladly shook Chad's outstretched hand. "No problem." The two boys then looked towards Gabriella as one, waiting for her decision.

There was only one she could make. She needed to do something. Troy, wherever he was, needed her.

"Okay," she muttered. "Let's go, guys."

And together, the three wildcats ran towards the exit. One way or another, they would help Troy. If they didn't, who would?

TBC


	8. Authors Note

**Authors Note re. story update.**

**Hi everyone. **

**I'm really sorry for all those still reading A Family Affair - you have all been waiting so long for an update from me. **

**To be honest, I had no idea anyone was still interested in this story! I've got through a bit of writers block and wanted you to know that I am working on the next chapter finally and will be sending it over to my beta by the end of next week. I hope it is worth the wait.**

**To anyone who has been patiently waiting, I'm so sorry and thank you so much for sticking with me. I know it's been ages!**

**Thanks again you guys! You're support has meant a lot to me and I PROMISE to never go off on such a long hiatus again!**

**Hugs to you all!**


End file.
